


Through the relay

by Shackett74



Category: Mass Effect - All Media Types
Genre: Early Days, Gen, Mass relay activating, Swearing, Younger Steven Hackett
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-04
Updated: 2020-09-04
Packaged: 2021-03-06 23:07:50
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,797
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26026969
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Shackett74/pseuds/Shackett74
Summary: We don't have very much of a background on Steven Hackett, especially not of his earlier life. Other than that he voluntereed for 'high risk missions', that is.On the other hand those few references of dangerous missions could also imply he actually voluntereed to activate relays, don't you think?..
Comments: 1
Kudos: 2





	Through the relay

**Author's Note:**

> This is for all those who wished they too, just like Steven, could explore space. <3  
> And especially to my friend, the author of Absolution, for our shared fascination for relays, AI's, turians - and Steven Hackett of course.  
> _________
> 
> In Ignotis is Latin and means approximately "into the unknown space".  
> _________  
> Sorry to say this fic contains one or two parts of heavy swearing. If it's of any comfort it even got me blushing... ;-)  
> _________  
> A premise here is that a relay is either active or dormant, on both sides, and no matter if its a promary or secondary relay.

~ I looked round  
And I knew there was no turning back  
My mind raced  
And I thought what could I do?

And I knew there was no help from you

You've been -  
 _Thunderstruck_ ~

AC/DC

**2155**

The small exploratory fleet, part of the precursor to the Alliance Geological Survey, was on the verge to enter the unknown by activating a dormant relay.

Between the flotilla and the quiet, sleek metallic-looking relay, a brand new UT 47 Kodiak shuttle was positioned.

Just one tiny step away from the dormant, looming relay in front of them, or so it felt to the young austere looking ensign in the lone pilot seat. His face was neat, almost delicate although not feminine, with tanned skin over a firm chin and jaw. His features was framed by brown hair, just a little too long for a junior officer, although these were still early days of Alliance Navy in a sense, so not many cared if his hair was an inch or two too long. 

But contrasting saliently with the golden skin was a pair of bright blue, penetrating eyes, almost ice blue in nuance, with a shimmer of intense intelligence that seemed to observe everything around him. 

The name of the barely twenty two year old daredevil was Steven Hackett, and he had despite his youth already participated in several exploratory endeavors and volunteered for a couple of extremely high risk missions.

His solid education and excellent grades in astronomy and astrophysics, psychology and leadership, besides a top-of-his-class graduation from the Alliance Naval marine boot camp three years ago, made the young adventurous ensign as eager to go to space as the equally young System's Alliance was to get their hands on the young, extremely talented cadet. 

Cramped together behind the cockpit were also ten brave specialists from a wide range of scientific professions, all courageously volunteering to be part of this dangerous mission, despite the risk it posed to get them killed. 

He was suited up in a light grey armor that was almost uncomfortably tight-fitting - a special environmental armor mostly used by armed explorers, and adrenaline, fear and excitement alternately rippled like subdued, still chilling waves through the ambitious ensign.

Their final all-system's-check was just sent to the CIC on the exploration flotilla.

They were ready to send the drone that would activate the relay and ready to monitor any potential emissions from the activating relay and its element zero fusion.

Everything with space exploration was dangerous and arduous. From the hazards of alternating or environments, enigmatic or lethal anomalies, or sudden space storms that forced the explorers to never let their guard down.

Which was why human exploration efforts to virgin systems took place in packs consisting of several ships. One ship looking out for every hazard during these explorations was nigh impossible to handle.

Behind the small bulky shuttle lay the flotilla waiting, mostly consisting of frigates, transports and a destroyer for protection.

The exception was the rare relay re-activations. 

So for now they could only wait for the authorization to continue, but at least he could lean back in his galactic front row seat and just watch the galactic scenery with its obvious star in the middle.. 

It drew Steven's curious attention back to it over and over, like a magnet.

The giant, outstretched relay structure that perhaps resembled a mechanical vortex more than anything, just lay there monumental and impassive. Dark and unlit - and about nine miles long.

Its sleek, taut, horizontal shape - if they'd been somewhere where only three dimensions mattered right now - had a strange, symmetrical beauty to it, or at least Steven thought so. 

In reality the relay construction was much larger than it appeared to be from this distance, and like the first time he'd been in front of a relay, it looked as though the relay had been sculpted from one single, giant drop of alloy, by the hands of an unseen power, incomprehensible in all its might. 

But human scientists wasn't occupied with its beauty, after seven intense years they still argued whether a jump through the three activated relays, 'propelled' the vessel to their destination, or actually made them 'jump' through.

Thing was that the few encountered relays so far had eluded human scientific knowledge. Mass effect fields, mass _free_ space, element zero? 

Alluring and groundbreaking phenomenons that the human scientists had thrown themselves over, like starving eager wolves, and still tried to wrap their heads around.

He too, for that matter.

Yet it would probably take his entire lifetime for them to figure out fairly well, and meanwhile Steven read every new report and research study about the fields and relays. 

Regardless of all its mysteries it made these experiments, these activations, all the more important and vital to humanity's understanding of space, relays and mass effect fields.

Their lack of knowledge didn't deter them and that's why it got all the more dangerous.

Others had asked him more than once if the relays ever scared him and Steven always replied truthfully, “most definitely.”  
Almost as much as they enchanted him…

Athough this certainly was something extra, all space explorations were special in his humble opinion. Especially those to new systems and planets. 

And it was this he'd dreamed of, and the reason he'd studied for six long years at the Academy, home in Buenos Aires. Fueling his dreams even more, as he looked in stunned awe on the wide screen, was Jon Grissom's reactivation of the first relay in 2149.

That had been the media event of the century and was something he would remember to the very day he died.

 _I want to do that too_ , the mesmerized and wide eyed fifteen year-old had sworn to himself when he and a few friends in breathtaking silence had watched Grissom's and Ryder's shuttle disappear through that mystic relay.

In the Kodiak's cockpit, Steven shrugged and smiled at his recollections, did some rearrangements to the playlist he'd prepaperd before they left, and returned to his contemplation.

There wasn't much else to do right now, anyway. 

The year before, in 2148, when humanity first made the revolutionary discoveries on Mars that would forever change human space exploration, Steven had pledged before the worn and only photograph of his now two dead parents, that he would devote his life to space exploration and humanity's expansion among the stars. 

He had no family left on Earth anyway, no closer relatives to speak of really - except for relatives on a distant Argentinian aunt's side, and an English grandparent and his relatives. And neither side had shown any particular interest in him since his parent's relationship hadn’t been exactly approved by either side's families.

His father had died before Steven was born, and all responsibility for the baby had suddenly been placed on his mother's shoulders. But unbeknownst to the growing child, him, his mother began saving up everything she could to grant her son the future she never got.

But she wanted it to be a surprise for his thirteenth birthday, and kept it a secret, so that Steven could attend the Advanced Juvenile Academy's space program when he turned thirteen.

The large Academy offered many different programs but it was their Space program he had dreamt of for years during his childhood, looking up at the skies at night on the roof of the small house they owned in the outskirts of the megatropolis that Buenos Aires had become. Sometimes his mum had joined him, placed an arm around him and together they had named the stars on the glistening nightsky. 

Her secret gift had only been revealed at her deathbed, as the mere 38 year old was suddenly struck by the pandemic that raged that year.

At the time that secret had been a bittersweet and painful piece of news to the grief-struck boy, and Steven remembered it like it was yesterday, even from the cockpit and ten years ago. With a deep sigh he let the pain and sorrow leave him.

For here he was, ten years later, piloting a shuttle on a ultra high risk mission, waiting for a 'go' with the team of mostly scientists behind him chit chatting while making continuous routine checks of the surveillance equipment.

It warmed his insides and made him smile quietly, for one half of them this was their very first - and likely _only_ time activating a relay, and adventure for life - and he could hear on their banter that they were getting nervous.

Of course they were.

Although four of them had participated in other virgin space explorations together with him before, most of them didn't have any experience of high risk missions like these or how to handle the pressure. Besides, the newly founded Alliance Navy didn't want to order any scientists to come along on a deadly assignment like this. Fortunately enough they never needed either with the surplus of volunteers. Rather the difficulty was to sort out and pick the best suited among them.

Not everything was about their level of expertise but also about their psyche and all-around knowledge.

Much as with the astronauts in old times, Steven mused as he overheard some of the astrophysicists betting whether they would get the opportunity to land on a new planet, and not merely surveying and gathering intel from space.

As the minutes slowly passed and became longer, his environmental suit felt tighter and more uncomfortable and began straining and tug at his self-discipline too.

 _What are they_ waiting _for?_ There was just a hint of annoyance to his thought, although noticeable to be fair and hence Steven closed his eyes and began reaching inwards instead.

It wouldn't speed up things regardless if he got restless and apprehensive over the delay. Instead Hackett used the time to practice his patience and strength of mind by aiming his focus deeper beyond the layers of sound in the background - silent conversations and the sound of moving bodies in their seats. Then his body and thoughts, and further beyond any emotions - just observing them before releasing. Until he connected with the solid, serene core that was him, and there he remained for a while, just abiding in tranquil peace and anchoring even more thoroughly with deep, calm breaths from all the way down in his abdomen, releasing his frustration.

Then a realization appeared, the same as times before, that he couldn't wish for something more fulfilling than this, to be able to do what most others only could dream of - exploring space for the benefit of humanity. There was a sense of being truly fortunate to be part of missions like these at all. To satiate his need of danger, adventure and exploration. 

These explorations wouldn't last forever unfortunately, and had been told just recently that he'd caught the attention of Alliance brass, of Jon Grissom himself even - if there was any truth to something like that. 

Complacent and grounded he returned from his focusing meditation only to realize the deafening silence in the cramped space behind him.

The excited ten specialist had kept themselves occupied with mellow bickering and excited arguing and bets, mostly about the alluring Mass Effect fields they surely would be able to monitor soon. Others had sounded more interested in what mysteries that may lay on the other side of the relay. And earlier, when one of the three marines proudly exclaimed that the only 'technical wonder' he needed was his Lancer-rifle, he had been met with a prolonged series of snorts, eye rolling and mocking banter that he late would forget. 

Now everyone was dead silent behind him.

Focused silence was something else than panicked silence, and one could only do routine checks of equipment and gear that many times before there was nothing else to do but to wait. And while the marines and he had received training to deal with pressure and stress, the scientist had not - and now the bunch apparently succumbed to the looming threat of disaster that even he could deny existed.

Now there was only a deafening silence of stress and contained panic.

They might by all means be mere minutes from sudden demise, but ensign Hackett knew he had to try something to divert their focus outwards and away from the fear inside. And the responsibility for getting them back on track was his. Momentarily pondering what to do he got an idea.

"Hey, Jordan", deliberately cheerful but with a tiny taunt to his voice, Steven called back over his shoulder, "How about some nice tunes to accompany us? Why don't you guys take a look at this playlist?"

"Sure thing, ensign!" With a language fouler than most even the irish born corporal Byrne, must have picked up the cues of panic threatening to surface uncontrollably, because he didn’t use one single swearing among those three words.

 _Must be a new record_ , Steven thought in quiet hilarity since Byrne's language could make the devil blush if he wanted to, although otherwise as solid and reliable marine as Hackett could ever wish for.

"Why don't you forward it to the others?" he proposed innocently, alas mere seconds after Steven sent the list via his omnitool, muffled swearing was heard from the redhead.

"I just _knew_ it goddamn son-of-a-bitch!" Byrne cried out and startled every one in their different stages of brooding and silent panic, making them all, scientists and marine alike, instantly sit up with their backs straight, flabbergast and with brows up to their foreheads. The Korean drone technician even blushed, but Steven merely chuckled quietly and Byrne continued his complaint.

"Don't you ever tire on this old fucking-shit-music, Hackett!?" the florid, square faced marine whined loudly over to the cockpit.

"Noo..not precisely." he put a surprised and innocent little drawl into his voice.

"Is it harps and flutes we need to satiate your Irish soul then?" That comment lured chuckles out from those around Byrne, especially the two other marines that flanked him and together with Steven made up the teams security in case they would actually land somewhere. Then Steven emphasized his words by choosing a track from the playlist, and put it on the shuttle speakers.

First only a few, melodic guitar riffs could be heard before a strange, wheezing - yet hoarse - male voice began singing in a surprisingly mesmerizing voice.

"No stop signs, speed limit  
Nobody's gonna slow me down

Like a wheel, gonna spin it  
Nobody's gonna mess me around

Hey Satan, paid my dues  
Playing in a rocking band

Hey mama, look at me.  
I'm on my way to the promised land, whoo!"

The lyrics caused a few surprised stares at the speakers, others looking at each other, chuckling at the reference to the spinning wheel and to be on their way to the promised land. A couple or so of the older members even seemed to recognize the retro, more than 150 year old, rock hit, and began humming along.

The lyrics were simply spot on. 

Amd corporal Byrne just shook his head emphatically, accompanied by the swaying red tuft mohawk on top of his head.

But as the chorus came, so did more laughs and even some cheerful sing-along attempts, before even the corporal couldn't help but to smile.

"I'm on the highway to hell.  
On a highway to hell."

I'm on the highway to hell.  
On a highway to hell.

In a sense they might very well be but making them face their fears with easy going humor had untangled its grip enough to let their focus shift back on something else. Something outside themselves.

Pleased that his attempt on diversion with reversed psychology had helped, Steven too crooned along in the refrain. It wasn't his favorite genre perhaps, but had just sprung to mind when pondering what could make the scientists think of something else than their blazing demise.

had read their files and handpicked them along with his CO and with only their specialist expertise and a burning longing for exploring the unknown just like him had each and every one of them volunteer for this, despite the dangers and despite any dread. 

It was quite the accomplishment in itself, if one asked him!

"Send the drone for relay activation, repeat send the drone," the CIC of the exploration flotilla hailed all of a sudden.

Now we're finally talking!, Steven thought with a chill, threw a glance over his shoulder and turned down the volume on the music.

"Affirmative." Then he released the clamps that held the attached drone to the shuttle's roof.

"Releasing probe", and the large drone self activated. Suddenly everyone was alert and attentive on what was going in in the cockpit and Steven called over his shoulder.

"Hey Park? It's time to shine", and the middle aged, lean Korean literally jumped to her feet and lunged over at a panel straight behind the cockpit.

"Mass effect field activated…and...surveillance programming activated, sir," the dark haired female eagerly blurted out, anticipation and pride evident in her voice together with a hint of an accent. The large, rather clumsy looking, activated drone was already programmed to steer itself toward the relay and hopefully activating it.

The purposes with sending a drone first, were twofold, first it was intended to take the hit instead of them in case something went terribly wrong with the activation process. Its second purpose was to transmit basic information of the new system back to them so that the Kodiak, god forbid, didn't end up straight into a supernova, asteroid field or a lethal gamma storm.

If everything looked good the shuttle would follow after shortly and do the first sweeps to chart the virgin system - or parts of it. And that was done by planting what scanning and surveillance probes they could carry, plus a comm buoy that could monitor and transmit any information back to the home system and flotilla.

 _Then_ , depending on how fast the flotilla’s command got a clearer picture of what awaited, the entire flotilla would venture through and begin mapping the new system immediately.

Usually they jumped within 12 hours.

"Wanna see?," Steven asked no one in particular behind him, but in a heartbeat everyone crowded around the cockpit, wanting to catch a glimpse of the relay as it hopefully became active when the drone approached. 

The key, humanity had quickly learned, appeared to be to equip a drone with enough mass together with its own mass effect field, which the relay to recognize.

The other key was to approach the relay with enough speed and the correct velocity to jump.

As the programmed drone picked up its speed the anticipation inside the shuttle also grew almost tangible. Then multiple gasps of awe and astonishment as a tiny spark of light seemed to ignite in the core of its cylindrical shape. 

It was like seeing a star being born.

 _It's reacting to the droid's mass effect field_ , Steven thought with a thrill and his heart rate increased as if aligned with the gyroscopical arms that began to rotate around each other slowly at first then faster and faster. And as they did the light within its cylindrical core grew larger, shining more brightly.

All ten of them beheld the wonder unraveling in front of them in reverent silence, and Steven felt goose bumps on his forearms. Heck, they like all have goose bumps, he suspected.

To the humans in the bulky little shuttle, it almost felt like 'magic' although neither believed in such a thing. They just stood like that for a couple of minutes, watching captivated as the quick drone became a small dot in the increasing light from the gyroscopical rings.

Diligently he started the shuttle's engines and increased the throttle so they could come just a tad closer to perhaps spot the drone's jump. For most of them this would be the sight of their lives, , and he wanted to give them the opportunity to watch the drone jump and finish the activation. Sure it would indeed be a memory for life they watched the drone disappeared into thin air, like it had been swallowed by a hungry relay. 

“Time to check your gear for the incoming transmissions, folks." The soft bantering had disappeared from his voice replaced by a purposeful edge, and they headed back for their seats and instruments. This time there was a new waiting but it was handled better than before since everyone waited eagerly on the first transmissions.

“Do we have contact?” he asked aloud.

“Nothing yet, sir…...but YES!” In an instant Park and the three astrophysicians were drowned in waves of information transmitted by the drone from the other side, in an unknown system. 

"Status on the drone?" His voice tense and fully focused.

"It's still working, sir, and all systems are a go," Park reported, pride once more evident in her voice.

“The jump looks good too, no debris or other hazards detectable, sir", Decker, the German astrophysicist excitedly revealed.

"The initial scans reveals no hazards that prevents us from attempting a jump,” he reported back to the flotilla's CIC who also had received picked the intel,. Do we have a go? He asked the CIC, careful not to sound too eager.

“No hazards detected as far as we can see, Kodiak. You have a go….....And Godspeed, ensign.”

“Affirmative, we have a go. And thank you."

Finally, the expectant thrill almost made him shudder, and his abdomen suddenly filled with the flapping of wings, but with a steady hand on the regulator he went full throttle following the course and trajectory at the same time as he exhaled deeply.

“Computer, play programmed music list “In Ignotis” from the beginning, he ordered his omnitool.

“Ladies and gents. Buckle up, for we have a go and will jump in...3 minutes!”

With the mesmerizing guitar of old school rock classic Thunderstruck in the background, Hackett brought the Kodiak shuttle closer and closer toward the relay’s now furiously rotating rings. He had no intention letting his team panic again so he went full throttle.

With a few small alterations of the trajectory path Steven plunged them close to the relay arms although it made the shuttle shake and vibrate, but it was an experiment he had only suggested with the command, to go closer to the gyroscopical rings to see what happened. It might be dangerous but was still a calculated risk - they needed to know as much as they could about how the relays functioned. And it was no more dangerous than jumping through a newly activated relay into an unknown system, anyway. 

Then the vibration stopped and a flashing, blinding light, gone in a heartbeat, propelled the Kodiak straight into the unknown.


End file.
